A Scots RAF gunner was crushed to death after climbing into a bin, an inquest has found.
Corrie McKeague, who vanished on a night out in 2016, died after getting into a bin which was then tipped into a waste lorry.
The airman, of Dunfermline, Fife, was 23 when he disappeared in the early hours of September 24 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
He was last seen on CCTV at 3.25am entering a service area behind a Greggs shop.
His body has never been found, despite extensive searches.
On Tuesday, an inquest jury recorded in a narrative conclusion that Mr McKeague died at approximately 4.20am in Bury St Edmunds as a result of "compression asphyxia in association with multiple injuries", jurors recorded.
In their conclusion, they said Mr McKeague's "death was contributed to by impaired judgment due to alcohol consumption".
They said there were "ineffective bin locks", an "ineffective search of the bin" before it was tipped, and "poor visibility through a Perspex viewing window on the lorry".
Members of Mr McKeague's family, including his mother, father, two brothers and his daughter's mother, were in court as the jury returned its findings.
The inquest, in Ipswich, was earlier told that Mr McKeague, who was stationed at RAF Honington, had slept in a bin before.
He had also slept under bin bags on a previous night out, using them "like a blanket", and was a heavy sleeper when drunk, the hearing was told.
He once downed a bottle of wine in 17 seconds, according to a friend, and was described by his former RAF line manager as a "nightmare on the drink".
Mr McKeague was seen asleep in a shop doorway earlier on September 24 before he awoke and walked to the service area where he was last seen.
Waste firm Biffa initially told police the weight of the bin was 11kg (1st 10lbs) but it was later recorded as 116kg (18st 3lbs).
The force said the movement of Mr McKeague's mobile phone mirrored the movement of the waste lorry that collected the bin from the service area where he was last seen.
Mr McKeague was not seen on CCTV leaving the area on foot.
His father, Martin McKeague, said the “facts are the same as they’ve always been” but that “some conspiracy theorists have continued to mislead you”.
“They’ve suggested Corrie may have gone AWOL or got lost on his way home to his RAF base (RAF Honington),” he said in a statement.
Mr McKeague said the inquest had “forced the truth out into the open for everyone to see”.
“We knew the facts and evidence could unfortunately only mean one horrible conclusion. That Corrie climbed into the bin in the horseshoe area and tragically died in the waste disposal process.”
The dad added that the delay in establishing the correct bin weight “meant we had much less chance of recovering my son Corrie’s body”.
He described his son as a “loveable rogue who loved to socialise and party”.
“He could walk into a room and light it up. Corrie was the atmosphere and could speak to anyone. I have lost everything as a result of losing him and he is very much missed by all.”
He said that his son had known before he died that his girlfriend was pregnant.
Mr McKeague thanked Suffolk Police for the “amazing, untiring and exemplary work they did during the investigation into my son Corrie’s death”.
He added: “My hope is that today’s decision shines a new light on the truth for everyone and Corrie can hopefully finally be left to rest in peace.”
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